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Naked bikes tested at the 2016 Alpen Masters

Ease or power?

With the KTM 690 Duke, MV Agusta Brutale 800, Triumph Speed ​​Triple S and Ducati Monster 1200 R, a wide range of naked bikes will compete at the 2016 Alpen Masters. Lightness or power, what stands out?

Four different displacements between 690 and 1200 cubic centimeters, one hundredweight lies between the lightest and the heaviest: KTM 690 Duke, MV Agusta Brutale 800, Triumph Speed ​​Triple S and D.ucati Monster 1200 R. One stew, one V-twin and two three-cylinder. Are apples, pears and watermelons being compared here? Yes and no. Because the key data of the naked bikes compared here may be fundamentally different, but they all have one thing in common: They are new, they are naked and they are hot for corners. What is more important on the Sella circuit? Ease of singles, twin power or triple thrust? Triumph stability or Varese handiness? As always, the Alps have their own rules, so all four have real chances of victory. Tight and tight hairpin bends, sometimes extreme slopes, here the finest grip, there soapy polished concrete, waves, kinks, grooves and holes – our circuit places the highest demands on the material. What really stands out here is a balanced, user-friendly concept – in other words, drivability, as the previous year’s win of the good BMW F 800 R against real racing cars impressively demonstrates.

Alpine Masters 2016

Ahoy, Pordoi!

690 Duke of the fifth generation, which also comes with Metzeler’s fine Sportec M7 RR soled ex works – a promising combination. Indeed, and unsurprisingly, the Austria single also sets the benchmark in terms of handiness on the passport. In this field, no other motorcycle can match, in the entire competition only the Honda CB 500 and Yamaha MT-03 are a little fluffier. Added to this are top marks for gearshift and clutch, which work almost as smoothly as on a 125cc.

The KTM 690 Duke clearly lacks stability

In a striking contrast to the noble R version of the KTM 690 Duke recently tested by MOTORRAD, however, the basic Herzog clearly lacks stability. The chassis components spring softly and dampen laxly, and apart from the rear preload, all adjustment options are missing. This affects the steering precision, on a bad surface the bustling Duke simply cannot find a line, requires constant corrections and a high level of commitment. Of course, too: even if the single-cylinder, which has been strengthened to a glorious 78 test bench horsepower in the latest Euro 4 update, is the ultimate in terms of series single, it almost inevitably has to wear the red lantern when pulling through. He wants a lot of full throttle, speed and hard shift work to make rapid progress. Driving fun enthusiasts can find their fulfillment in this, even if the significantly crisper, sharper Duke R is particularly recommended to them. But if you value a minimum of motor skills, you should avoid the 690 Duke in the Alps.

Despite the different key data, the four have real chances of victory because the Alps have their own rules.

And goes on, maybe to the new MV Agusta Brutale 800? After all, the Vareser Drilling offers amazing performance in terms of performance. Unheard of with what anger the 800 tears through the speed range. Thanks to its low weight, short gear ratio and the typical three-cylinder powerful pulling force, the Brutale of the Triumph Speed ​​Triple S and Ducati Monster 1200 R sits snappy in the neck despite the considerable displacement disadvantage. Another advantage of the compact design (very short wheelbase, relatively steep steering head): The Brutale is also handy, playful, and angles with downright enthusiasm. Very narrow swirls, hairpin after hairpin, for example up the Pordoi, can be done with great ease. In addition, fully adjustable chassis components work tightly to hard, but with all the quality. Only where the soft, comfort-oriented set-up of the KTM 690 Duke makes for a downturn, the MV Agusta Brutale 800’s well-known, constantly improved, but ultimately still inadequate throttle response eats up the undoubted potential of the chassis. The Brutale goes hard on the gas, pushes something, and the load changes roughly. Perhaps more bearable on the racetrack, down the back of the Fedaia, a tricky section, simply uncomfortable.

The automatic gearshift is very welcome, it entertains wonderfully and works, somehow typically MV, best at full load and just in front of the limiter. However, it can hardly hide the long shift paths in the bony transmission. But that’s not enough grumbling: Even harder than the throttle response of the MV Agusta Brutale 800 is its seat. An MV does not have to be a sofa, but the narrow, unergonomically angular seat wedge of the Varese woman really tries hard to nip comfort in the bud. And it makes it clear what the Brutale is about: It is small, beautiful, insanely sensual, has sports genes and therefore great potential. It wants to move and be moved, but it doesn’t care about stuffy compromises or consistent functionality with sympathetic grandeur. MV Agusta Brutale? The name is program.

Triumph Speed ​​Triple S vs. Ducati Monster 1200 R

And thus to the two remaining title candidates. A meaty Hinckley threesome or a gaudy, noble Bologna twin? An exciting duel and on an equal footing. Triumph Speed ​​Triple S and Ducati Monster 1200 R both roll on Pirelli Supercorsa SP, so the same requirements apply to the rubbers. However, the Monster R is the expensive top model in the series, while the Speed ​​Triple in S version is the basic version. In hard currency, that’s a whopping 6000 euros price difference. This strong surcharge is only reflected to a limited extent in the performance.

The Ducati Monster 1200 R accelerates even more violently at the top, but in terms of pulling power, both of them do not offer much. Once again it is clear that usable power is what counts at the Alpen Masters. And both the Duc and the Triumph Speed ​​Triple S have plenty of them. The performance of both engines is exemplary, but when it comes to load changes, clutch and gearbox, the 1050 Speedy drive is the decisive factor ahead, which just means it wins the engine ranking. By the way: In the engine chapter, the ten-fifty three of a kind grabbed the second highest number of points in the 2016 Alpine Masters. The difference in price between the two machines can be located in the chassis components. There is something sublime about the appeal of the Monster R’s fine Ohlins fork. The set-up is surprisingly comfortable without slipping into unsporting aspects. The R-Monster drives with a long wheelbase in a neutral, harmonious, precise, all-round convincing manner.

The Triumph Speed ​​Triple S, on the other hand, rolls tighter, harder, and very well damped. That costs a bit of comfort, and the handiness is a little less pronounced, also due to the slightly higher weight and the higher center of gravity. But the large reserves of the suspension, the sleepwalking stability of the Englishwoman, her captivating neutrality, all of this brings real drivability and corresponding counter. It also helps that the Duc decelerates superbly, but produces dizzying stoppies in the downhill braking test with a pillion due to the aggressive ABS set-up. Because the Speedy is fully equipped for a naked on top of that, has a lot of payload and is otherwise no nakedness, the all-round balanced Englishwoman deserves victory in the naked bikes category.

MOTORCYCLE conclusion

The KTM 690 Duke is a motorcycle for freaks in the best sense of the word, but has no real chance against the much stronger, more versatile multi-cylinder machines. The MV Agusta Brutale 800 is also an extremely active, but also very strenuous motorcycle. Nothing goes by itself here. The Ducati Monster 1200 R impresses with its full V2 punch and an excellently tuned chassis that very successfully combines sport and comfort. Not quite as comfortable, but extremely full, stable, drivable, the Triumph Speed ​​Triple S, as the bottom line, the most balanced machine makes it clear to win.

1st place: Triumph Speed ​​Triple S.

Triumph Speed ​​Triple S..

more:

  • Smooth drive, clean response, great controllability
  • High-quality draft, extremely usable performance
  • drives neutral and stable
  • very complete equipment for a naked bike

minus:

  • quite sporty sitting position, tiring in the long run
  • bad consideration

2nd place: Ducati Monster 1200 R

Ducati Monster 1200 R.

more:

  • powerful Vau-Zwei, full top performance
  • Chassis is spot on between comfort and sportiness
  • excellent brake
  • good electronics package, great traction control

minus:

  • does not quite achieve the stability and smoothness of the Triumph
  • Stop incline downhill

3rd place: MV Agusta Brutale 800

MV Agusta Brutale 800.

more:

  • fiery three-cylinder with sports genes
  • extreme handiness
  • great braking effect, cleanly applied ABS

minus:

  • unclean throttle response, strong load changes
  • very uncomfortable and tiring

4th place: KTM 690 Duke

KTM 690 Duke.

more:

  • playful, flyweight handling
  • decent comfort, good ergonomics

minus:

  • Inelastic engine, poor torque, requires a lot of switching work
  • springs and dampens too slack, pronounced suspension unrest

Alpen Masters ranking

Maximum
score		 Ducati
Monster 1200 R
 KTM
690 Duke
 MV Agusta
Brutal 800
 triumph
Speed ​​Triple S
 engine 150 126 97 106 127 Driving behavior 180 128 109 118 134 everyday life 100 50 54 49 53 Comfort 70 25th 27 16 25th Overall rating 500 329
 287
 289
 339
 placement 2. 4th. 3. 1.

Data Ducati and KTM

Here you can see an extract of the technical data. If you would like the complete measurement values ​​determined by us, including all consumption, torque and acceleration values, you can buy the article as a PDF for download.

Data MV Agusta and Triumph

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